Install software on my macintosh classic

Hello,

First of all, I assume that you mean the "real" Macintosh Classic, not an older "classic" Macintosh computer. The Macintosh Classic can handle both 800K and 1.44 MB Mac-formatted floppies.

The special 800K Mac format (on DD disks) can not be handled by an external USB drive, nor by a PC floppy drive. So, you must use 1.44 MB (HD) floppies for any transfers from, for example, a Windows PC.

I am not familiar with files from the web site that you mentioned, but downloads from other sites (like http://archive.info-mac.org/ and http://umich.edu/~archive/mac/) have been encoded BinHex (.hqx) or MacBinary (.bin) for protection. Keep the encoded file as it is until on the Macintosh Classic. Once there, use StuffIt Expander for the decoding. Do not just double-click on the file. Instead, drag the file onto the StuffIt Expander program icon (or open the file via the File menu when StuffIt Expander has been launched).

If you do not have an appropriate version of StuffIt Expander, you may want to try a method to create a 1.44 MB Mac floppy with the utility in question directly on a Windows/DOS PC:Re: Transfer Files to Powerbook 520c.

Addendum

If you wish to use a Windows computer to copy files to Mac-formatted 1.44 MB (HD) floppies, a suitable PC utility for Mac disks will be needed.

With the correct software, it is also possible to read/write PC-formatted 1.44 MB (HD) floppy disks directly on a Macintosh Classic. With System 7.0.1 or 7.1, one can use the Apple File Exchange program (not normally installed, but can be found on one of the system disks). Later systems used a PC Exchange control panel instead.

If the StuffIt Expander that you have now is the one resulting from the installer on the Mac floppy made via the DOS program (according to the third link in my first message above), it would be version 4.0.1. That version is capable of decoding all BinHex (.hqx) files and decompressing/expanding/unpacking many decoded files. However, some files have been compressed in a way that a later StuffIt Expander version is needed. You may want to look for StuffIt Expander 5.5 (any download in .hqx or .bin format can be decoded by the 4.0.1 version already available).

As indicated earlier, do not just double-click on a file to decode it (especially not if the file came from a PC download). Instead, drag the file onto the StuffIt Expander program icon, or open the file from within the utility. If necessary, rebuild the Desktop to show a special (not generic) program icon.

1. To begin with, please confirm that you have created the floppy according to the following procedure:

With access to a Windows PC (capable of running a DOS program) with a floppy drive , you may want to try this: Prepare an empty PC-formatted 1.44 MB diskette via FORMAT A: in DOS or the "full" formatting option under Windows. Download the MACDISK.EXE file from http://rrzs42.uni-regensburg.de/Macintosh/files/macftp.html . Run the MACDISK.EXE (DOS) program on the Windows PC. Follow the instructions on screen. The result will be a Mac-formatted (sic!) floppy that can be immediately used in the Macintosh Classic. This floppy contains a StuffIt Expander installer.

2. Did you copy the StuffIt Expander installer to the Macintosh Classic hard disk? Did the installer work as expected?

3. After the installation, do you have a working StuffIt Expander (4.0.1) utility (with a special, not generic, program icon) on the Macintosh Classic?

4. It may not be a bad idea to test a decoding operation with another BinHex (.hqx) file from http://archive.info-mac.org/ or http://umich.edu/~archive/mac/.

5. >if i unstuff a hqx file it if gives me constant errors

Is this during the decoding of an hqx file, or is it later during an attempted decompression of a compressed file (for example, .sit, .sea, .cpt) inside? Exactly what kind of error?

6. >i found a stuffit in a bin file and there is just giving me an address error and i need to restart the mac

Are you trying to use StuffIt Expander 4.0.1 to decode a dowloaded MacBinary (.bin) file containing another version of StuffIt (Expander)? A later StuffIt Expander version may not work on a System 7.1 Macintosh Classic.

>start the program

Which program? Have you tested an alternative program from one of the two freeware/shareware archives mentioned above?

Do you have the maximum amount (4 MB) of RAM?

Also, are you sure that the program can run with the amount of RAM installed, and that it is compatible with a 68000 processor and the operating system in question? Some programs may require a colour monitor.

What happens if you boot the Classic with Extensions Off (hold down the Shift key during the beginning of the startup sequence)? Is it possible to launch the program then?

You may want to try a PRAM reset. Hold down the four keys Command(Apple) + Option(Alt) + P + R immediately at startup.

Finally, make sure that Disk First Aid has reported that the hard disk file structure is OK.